Three 17-year-olds, Pune’s Arjun Chheda and Sai Shiva Makesh Sankaran, along with Ishaan Madesh from Bengaluru, shone brightly with victories in the MRF single-seater categories as the third and penultimate round of the MRF MMSC fmsci Indian National Car Racing Championship 2025 concluded at the Madras International Circuit in Chennai on Monday.
Race Highlights
- MRF Formula 2000: Arjun Chheda and reigning National karting champion Ishaan Madesh each secured a win.
- MRF Formula 1600: Sai Shiva Sankaran dominated, winning all three races this round, achieving a total of five victories this season. The championship will wrap up at the same venue later this month.
The results left Arjun Chheda at the top of the provisional championship standings with five wins, just five points ahead of Ishaan Madesh. Sai Shiva Sankaran holds a 24-point lead over Bengaluru’s Arjun Nair.
Mechanics’ Triumph
A significant narrative emerged as the team at Arka Motorsports worked late into the night, preparing their cars for two races in the Indian Touring Cars class. Their efforts paid off with Chennai’s Ritesh Rai (Buzzing Hornet), whose car was tuned by Arka Motorsports, clinching a double victory.
Karna Kadur’s Return
Multiple National Rally champion Karna Kadur (Arka Motorsports), who missed Sunday’s Race-1, marked his return by securing one podium finish. This 8-time National rally champion came back to racing after a 20-year hiatus.
Challenges for Leading Competitors
In the midst of this intense competition, former National champion and points leader, Coimbatore’s Arjun Balu (Race Concepts), faced tough luck with three retirements due to various car issues.
Current Standings
At the end of the round, Lonavla’s Dhruv Chavan, a private entry, emerged as the only competitor in the ITC Class to finish all nine races so far, leading the championship with just a three-point advantage over Pithawalla. Ritesh Rai has moved to P3 in the provisional standings, ahead of Arjun Balu.
Additional Wins
- Super Stock Class: Thrissur’s Dilijith TS (DTS Racing) notched his sixth consecutive win, keeping himself in title contention, while Sri Lanka’s Kesara Godage (Performance Racing) continues to lead the points table with three P2 finishes.
- Indian Junior Touring Cars: Nellore’s Viswas Vijayaraj (Performance Racing) enjoyed a successful Monday with a double win.
- Formula LGB 1300: Ernakulam’s Joel Joseph (DTS Racing) completed a successful round, winning both races on Monday, despite the first race being marred by multiple stoppages due to on-track incidents. He moved to the top of the points table in both Open and Junior classes.
MRF Saloons (Toyota Etios) Category: Coimbatore’s Akshay Muralidharan and local challenger Mohamed Arfath each won a race. Muralidharan leads in this championship category.